Tourego provides a smartphone‑only platform that digitizes the tax‑free refund process for brick‑and‑mortar retailers. By scanning a passport or QR code, the app automatically submits the refund application to tax authorities and completes the transaction in about 30 seconds, eliminating paperwork, hardware costs, and checkout delays. Merchants pay no setup, subscription, or transaction fees, while tourists are charged a transparent 1.5% service fee.
Funding
$2.4M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Retail merchants serving international tourists often face cumbersome, paper-based tax‑free refund processes that require extensive paperwork, long wait times, and specialized hardware, leading to checkout delays and reduced customer satisfaction.
Solution
Tourego digitizes the tax‑free refund workflow by turning a merchant’s smartphone into a complete processing tool. After a tourist’s passport or QR code is scanned, the app automatically handles the tax‑free application with the tax office, requiring no additional paperwork or hardware. The entire transaction is completed in about 30 seconds through a five‑step process, eliminating queues and streamlining checkout. Merchants incur no setup, subscription, or transaction fees, while tourists pay a transparent 1.5% service charge (or merchants can opt to cover it). This model enables stores to offer a frictionless, risk‑free tax‑free service that enhances the shopping experience and encourages repeat visits.
Target Audience
Primary customers are brick‑and‑mortar retailers, boutiques, and duty‑free shops in tourist‑heavy locations that want to offer tax‑free refunds without added hardware or administrative burden.
Features
- Smartphone‑only solution; no dedicated terminals or POS upgrades required
- Fully digital tax‑free application with automatic submission to tax authorities
- Five‑step, 30‑second workflow that minimizes staff effort and eliminates checkout lines
- Zero upfront costs: no setup fees, monthly fees, or transaction fees for merchants
- Transparent 1.5% service fee charged to tourists (optional merchant‑pay model)
- Real‑time status notifications and digital receipt generation for customers